四角四面(しかくしめん)

しかくしめん
na-adjective, noun
stiff and formal; strait-laced
personalityidiom
1. stiff and formal; strait-laced; by-the-book
Overly serious and rule-bound, with no flexibility or humor; said of a person, an attitude or a speech. Mildly critical.
四角四面(しかくしめん)な人(ひと)だ。
He's a stiff, by-the-book person.
そんなに四角四面(しかくしめん)に考(かんが)えなくてもいいよ。
You don't have to think about it so rigidly.
彼(かれ)の挨拶(あいさつ)は四角四面(しかくしめん)で、会場(かいじょう)の雰囲気(ふんいき)が少(すこ)し硬(かた)くなった。
His speech was so stiff and formal that the room grew a little tense.

Usage

A four-character compound, literally "four corners, four sides": a perfect square.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 堅苦(かたくる)しい: stiff, formal; usually of an atmosphere or occasion rather than a person's character
  • 杓子定規(しゃくしじょうぎ): applying a rule mechanically to every case

Related Words

Compare: 堅苦(かたくる)しい (stiff, formal)
general
Added 2026.10.4 21:47 · Revised 2026.10.4 21:49
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